60th edition of the SMG Forum: recipes for success for the Swiss economy

In her welcoming address, Sarah Kreienbühl, President of the SMG and member of the Executive Board of Kühne + Nagel, gave the guests a look back at some of the focus topics of past forums. She described them as a "history book of the Swiss economy". Despite the changing focus, one thing remained constant: the success of the Swiss economy is the result of joint efforts.

Challenges facing the Swiss export industry in a difficult global environment

"Spuhler can handle a crisis" - with this comment, Dorothee Auwärter, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Kuhn Rikon AG and SMG Board member, ensured audible approval from the audience. In an interview with her, Swiss entrepreneur, former National Councillor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stadler Rail AG Peter Spuhler provided fascinating insights into the challenges his company has faced this year - from sanctions against Russia and Belarus to the storms in southern Spain. Peter Spuhler explained that his company's resilience is based on the flexibility and autonomy of the individual locations and teams, which can act independently and be relocated if necessary.

Tradition as a foundation, innovation as a path

"Passion is 24/7," said Tomas Prenosil, member of the Board of Directors and CEO of Confiserie Sprüngli AG, in an interview with Sarah Kreienbühl, emphasizing that this passion has shaped the company since 1836. Thomas Prenosil is the sixth generation to run the family business together with his brother Milan. In a family business, it is not just about performance, but above all about everyone working together and growing into the tasks. "My probationary period lasted almost 27 years under the watchful eye of my uncle," added the confectioner with a laugh.

ETH - Robotics rock it!

Under the leadership of dynamic researcher Prof. Dr. Roland Siegwart Director of Autonomous Systems Lab. the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at ETH has grown to over 25 professorships since it was founded 18 years ago and has spawned numerous start-ups. In the drone sector alone, almost 6,500 full-time jobs have been created - an area in which Switzerland is a world leader. "Robotics not only offers enormous potential for the future, it is also a stroke of luck for our economy," explained Professor Siegwart during his impressive presentation at the SGM Forum.

Entrepreneurship & politics - a dream team?

Under the moderation of Thomas Amstutz, CEO of Feldschlösschen Getränke AG and SMG board member, National Councillors Diana Gutjahr, National Councillor, Chairman of the Board of Directors and co-owner of Ernst Fischer, and Andri Silberschmidt, National Councillor, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of kaisin. AG, explained why the number of professional politicians in the Swiss parliament is growing. In their closing speeches, both politicians argued that the economy is more social than its reputation suggests, but that it should become more involved and thus more visible.

"Complementary leadership in the era of AI"

After an impressive AI-generated video intro with avatar, entrepreneur Sung-Joo Kim, founder, Chief Visionary Officer and Chairwoman of MCM Group, gave the participants an emotional insight into her life as the daughter of a Korean industrial magnate, which was strongly characterized by patriarchal structures. After being disowned and disinherited by her family due to her non-conformism, she founded her own company and acquired the rights to the German luxury brand MCM, which was considered "dead" in the fashion world at the time, around 20 years ago. Under her energetic leadership, MCM developed into a global power brand in the luxury sector. The company is focusing on AI and actively integrating technological change into its strategy. When asked by Nora Teuwsen, CEO of ABB Switzerland and SMG Board member, where she gets the energy and courage for her vision, she simply replied: "I pray a lot."

Can biotech flourish in Switzerland?

The physician, scientist and psychiatrist Dr. Luca Santarelli has significantly shaped the pharmaceutical landscape, including in Switzerland, as an entrepreneur and innovator over the past two decades and has developed an impressive number of drugs and therapies for diseases, some of which are rare. At the SMG Forum, he was proud to announce the successful completion of a so-called Series D financing for another company under his leadership.

Framework conditions for a successful Switzerland

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Bütler, Honorary Professor HSG and SMG Board Member, the two diplomats Helene Budliger Artieda, State Secretary and Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, and Monika Rühl, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of economiesuisse, analyzed the state of the economy and came to the somewhat surprising conclusion that the situation was enviably stable and therefore almost "boring". Despite the positive economic figures and low unemployment, however, consumer sentiment is cautious to negative - a fact that the two experts attributed to the geopolitical situation. The panel agreed that Switzerland is one of the few remaining liberal voices in the world and should resolutely stand its ground against increasing regulation and bureaucracy.

90 days

90 days before his start at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Dario Cologna tore multiple ligaments - an injury that normally takes six months to heal. Thanks to an iron will and a strong environment, he fought his way back onto cross-country skis and won Olympic gold. "It takes an unconditional will to perform and conviction to achieve top performance. The right mindset can make all the difference," said Cologna at the SMG Forum. As a board member of the "Swiss Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2038" association, he is now campaigning for Switzerland to host the 2038 Winter Olympics.

Source: www.smg.ch